SR2457 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2457 LRB099 24104 MST 51830 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over the past several years, heroin use and opioid painkiller abuse have increased across the State of Illinois and the United States among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels; and

WHEREAS, As heroin use has increased, so have heroin-related overdose deaths; nationwide, between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013; and

WHEREAS, Between 2013 and 2014, the number of Illinoisans who have died of an overdose increased 8.3% from 1,570 to 1,705, and roughly 42% (711) of these total drug overdose deaths in Illinois were heroin-related; and

WHEREAS, There were 761 overdose deaths involving heroin in 2015 in Illinois; additionally, Illinois was one of 14 states that had a statistically significant increase in the rate of drug overdose deaths between 2013 and 2014; and

WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that states play a central role in prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts for this growing epidemic; and

WHEREAS, Several cities and counties in Illinois, including the Cities of Pekin and Dixon and the counties of Lee and Whiteside, have created Safe Passages Initiatives to combat the growing statewide problem of heroin and opioid abuse and addiction; and

WHEREAS, Safe Passages Initiatives allows individuals suffering from heroin and prescription opioid addiction to turn their drugs over to police or sheriff's departments and not fear prosecution; they are instead placed directly into treatment programs organized by the police department and community volunteers; and

WHEREAS, Safe Passages Initiatives are supported by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and have proven successful in the communities and counties in which they have been implemented by steering individuals away from the criminal justice system by helping them find the treatment they need; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support Safe Passages Initiatives and encourages all police departments in the State to research and implement Safe Passages Initiatives in their respective cities and counties.